Worcester to interview 2 finalists for city auditor

The search for a successor to City Auditor James A. DelSignore is nearing completion, as the City Council Municipal Operations Committee has come out with two finalists for the job.

The three-member committee is recommending to the City Council that Russell J. Bethoney of Walpole and Sean McGourty of Shrewsbury be interviewed.

Both candidates come from the private sector.

Councilor-at-Large Michael J. Germain, chairman of the Municipal Operations Committee, said the committee’s recommendation will be presented to the council Tuesday night.

He said the two finalists could be interviewed by the council as early as Dec. 4.The auditor’s job is one of three positions in the city government that fall under the jurisdiction of the council — the others are city manager and city clerk.

Mr. DelSignore, who has been city auditor since 1991, is retiring when his contract with the council ends Jan. 8.

“We really don’t have that much time, so we’d like to see the council move on this as soon as possible,” Mr. Germain said. “We’d also like to allow time for a transition from when we select someone to when (Mr. DelSignore) leaves.”

Mr. Germain said about 30 people applied for the job.

He said the Edward J. Collins Center for Public Management at UMass-Boston, which assisted the council in its search, reviewed all the résumés and came up with about 14 viable candidates.

A screening committee, made up of the Municipal Operations Committee and city officials, narrowed the field to five, and those names were presented to the committee.

Mr. Germain said the committee ended up interviewing three of those candidates before making its recommendations.

Mr. Bethoney operates his own accounting and business consulting firm.

He said he has more than 20 years of experience, which include about 15 years in public and five in corporate accounting. He has extensive experience in accounting, systems administration and financial management and the design, evaluation and re-design of internal controls.

Mr. Bethoney has also worked as an audit manager for Grant Thornton, Wolf & Company, PC, and Ercolini & Company, LLP, all based in Boston. He also worked a controller at City Group Management Co. in Boston, as well as a senior accountant at Yale University and an associate accountant at Coopers & Lybrand.

Mr. McGourty, meanwhile, has more than 24 years of experience in accounting and finance.

He said he has managed various accounting and finance departments, and he considers his strengths to include “strong management skills, excellent analytical and problem solving skills, proven systems implementation knowledge and ability to collaborate.”

Mr. McGourty worked the past six years as general accounting manager for the Telegram & Gazette. Before that, he was accounting manager for Casual Male Retail Group/Designs, Primedica Corp. of Worcester.

He also worked as a financial consultant for Salomon Smith Barney of Worcester; North American accounting manager for Stream International/R.R.Donnelly & Sons of Westwood; general ledger coordinator for Thom McAn Shoe Co. of Worcester; and a field auditor of the Internal Revenue Service.

Mr. Germain said both finalists coming from the private sector is something he finds appealing because they can offer the city a different perspective on things.

“The committee is very comfortable with both candidates,” he said. “They both have the knowledge, background and education to serve this city well as auditor.”

Mr. Germain said the residency issue was broached to both candidates during their interviews with the Municipal Operations Committee, and both said they would be willing to relocate to Worcester provided their contract language fits their needs.

Mr. McGourty lives in Shrewsbury and grew up in Worcester, having attended Burncoat Senior High School, Worcester State College and Clark University.

Mr. DelSignore has been with the city since 1977, when he was hired as deputy city auditor.

He served in that position until January 1991, when he succeeded City Auditor M. Joseph Stacey, who died while in office.

He had planned on taking early retirement in 2010 but the council persuaded him to stay and put him under contract through Jan. 8.